Audio: Bobby Jindal at wit’s end over feds’ handling of oil spill

AllahpunditPosted at 7:39 pm on June 30, 2010

Nothing here that you don’t already know — the clean-up’s bureaucratic nightmare is already approaching Kafkaesque dimensions — but it’s one thing to know it and another to hear Jindal almost frantically begging for relief. He knows only too well what it’ll mean if/when the first hurricane starts heading towards the mainland with millions of gallons of crude just offshore. You know what would make him feel better, I’ll bet? A few rounds of golf.

Wasn’t the White House telling us that recently, incidentally — that it’s good for America when the president hits the links? New from Marist:

President George Bush’s handling of Hurricane Katrina was a black mark on his administration, and now, there’s bad news for his successor.
Nearly six in ten voters nationwide — 57% — say President Barack Obama’s handling of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is either the same or worse than Bush’s handling of Katrina. This includes 34% who report Obama’s management of the disaster is comparable and 23% who view it as worse. 37%, however, say he is handling the crisis better than Bush managed Katrina. 6% are unsure.

While nearly six in ten Democrats — 59% — believe the president is handling the crisis better than how his predecessor dealt with Hurricane Katrina, one-third of Democrats say Mr. Obama is dealing with it only about the same or worse. This includes 28% who say the president’s management is on par with Mr. Bush’s and 5% who report it is worse. Not surprisingly, most Republicans — 80% — believe President Obama has demonstrated equal or worse crisis management skills than President Bush. 44% think they are comparable, and 36% believe they are worse. 14% say he is handling it better.Independents align more with Republicans. 63% rank Obama’s management as either on the same level as Bush or below the former president. This includes 34% who say he is on par with Bush and 29% who believe his handling is even worse. One-third of independent voters rate Mr. Obama’s performance as better.

I wonder what that translates to on The One’s self-grading curve. If his first year in office was a solid B+, this must be … a B-? How about a B for, er, “effort”?

As you listen, be sure to read through the Heritage Foundation’s 10 recommendations for what the White House can do right now to speed recovery in the gulf. More than half involve either lifting regulations of some kind or not passing regulations that are in the works. Click the image to listen.